5 Reasons why you should hire a planner or day-of coordinator on wedding day:
Let’s set the scene:
You’re recently engaged.
Ecstatic, of course.
Your brain is going 100miles/minute dreaming up your perfect wedding day.
A few days pass, the honeymoon phase of wedding planning is over.
You realize you need help.
But aren’t wedding planners and/or coordinators a big part of the budget?!
Yes, and for good reason. Here’s why you should hire one:
. You’re only one person.
You may be incredibly creative and a visionary in your own right, but no one will do it better than someone who PLANS WEDDINGS for a living. Think about it, you’ll be too busy getting married to make sure that the name cards are correct on each table! It is impossible to be 10 places at once setting up chairs, linens, florals, DJ equipment, handing out invoices to vendors, just to name a few. Your one job is to relax and ENJOY.
.. Your photographer will love you for it.
Speaking from personal experience, whenever a day-of coordinator has not been hired, I become your coordinator. Because your photographer plays such an important role in day-of flow, it’s easy to default to them to keep the day moving (side-note: make sure you choose a photographer who is comfortable with being a leader and herding cats!). While experienced shooters are unfazed, becoming your stand-in ‘coordinator’ takes away from our main responsibility: capturing your day. If you want to make your photographer love you even more, listen to their preferred list of coordinators! Nothing is worse than working alongside someone who clearly does not care about the couple. We have a list of ‘friendors’ for a reason, and that is to make your day run as smoothly as possible.
... Your friends and family shouldn’t be the ones cleaning up at the end of the night.
Think about it, do you want your parents to be the ones packing the cars full of your wedding presents, decor, leftover food, and trash? Or do you want them to be able to keep enjoying the party and allow them to reflect on all of the love and joy they witnessed that day? Hiring a coordinator or planner takes this burden away from friends and family. What’s the point of hosting a huge event if your loved ones can’t even enjoy it to the very last hour?
…. They handle the nitty-gritty details so you don’t have to.
I’m no expert in all-things contracts and legalities, but I know enough to run a business. So, we can safely assume that the average couple may not be experts on the jargon, either. A good planner or coordinator will comb through your contractural agreements with your vendors to ensure that you are protected should things go wrong. Many will also handle some of the other headaches of wedding planning, like collecting guest addresses, sending out the invitations, and doing the heavy research on other necessary vendors. The point is, sometimes we get too bogged down in the details of planning, and they are there to make your lives easier.
….. They offer insight into a wedding day that you can’t get from the average person.
As much as we wish we could glean from the experience of all of our married friends, sometimes it’s just not enough. I encourage you to utilize the knowledge of your event planner or coordinator because they have years of managing large events under their belts. Everything that could go wrong on a wedding day, they have likely seen and already planned for solutions A, B, and C. With that in mind, be specific about who you choose as your coordinator or planner! Experience matters, especially when it comes to managing large groups. Tact also matters; they must have a way with people. Finally, they must ultimately care about you, the couple, above all else! Often, your planners serves as a protective force against all of the obstacles you may face on wedding day.
Click through to learn about some of my favorite planners and coordinators in the business:
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My very own coordinator on my wedding day. Kristen went above and beyond; she is now part of an incredible powerhouse of creatives who simply excel at all things weddings and events.
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A true master of her craft, I’ve worked with Natalie several times over the years. Her attention to detail and artistry with wedding florals is unmatched.
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Lauren is a true joy to work with and cares about her couples. She’s got that “feels like home” quality that make all of her couples feel at ease.
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This team—I’ve never seen anything like it in all of my years. One of the greatest pleasures I’ve ever experienced as a wedding photographer was working with Emily Weddings.
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Ellen is always one of the first planners I recommend to my Atlanta brides because of her vast knowledge and experience in the various venues. She is a boss at what she does.
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